Dems claiming victory in New Hampshire House

DOVER — With votes still being tallied in about half a dozen races, New Hampshire Democrats say they're poised to regain control of the House of Representatives.

House Democratic leaders announced shortly before noon Wednesday that preliminary figures show Democrats regaining the majority by a margin of 217-177. Another six races have yet be decided.

Seizing power in the House will deliver Democrats another high-profile victory following Tuesday's election, which saw Democrats taking power in the governor's office and defeating two Republican congressmen and three GOP members serving on the Executive Council. In a prepared statement, House Democratic Minority Leader Terie Norelli said her party listened to voters across the state and received the message that common sense should prevail in Concord.

"The campaign season is over. We must now move beyond the partisan divide and begin to work together on behalf of all Granite Staters,” said Norelli, of Portsmouth. “We plan to keep our promises by focusing on jobs and the economy, reverse this Legislature's ill-advised priorities, and end the harshness in the air that has plagued the House these last two years."

Led by Speaker Bill O'Brien, the New Hampshire House became a rhetorical target for numerous Democratic candidates in this year's election, including some who were campaigning for office outside the Legislature. The list included governor-elect Maggie Hassan, who tried to portray her opponent, Ovide Lamontagne, as being in lock-step with O'Brien's agenda.

“We will not let the people of New Hampshire down,” Norelli said. “We look forward to collaboratively working with our new Democratic Governor Maggie Hassan and the Republican-led State Senate to move our great state forward.”